Apparatus for separating and collecting fluids in wells



IVI. E. LAYNE. APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING AND COLLECTING FLUIDS IN WELLS.

y APPLICATION FILED SEPT.28. |917. 1,382,295.

Patented June 21, 1921.

5 SHEETS-SHEET l,

M. E. LAYNE. APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING AND COLLECTING FLUIDS IN WELLS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.28, 1917. L

1,382,295.. v Patented June 21, 19.21.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2- IVI. E. LAYNE.

APPARATUS Foa SEPARATLNG AND COLLECTING. FLUIDS |N WELLS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 28| 1917.

Patented June 21, 1921.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

M. E. LAYNE.

APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING AND COLLECTING FLUIDS IN WELLS.

APFQLICATION FILED SEPT.28| 1917.

Patented 111116 21, 1921.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

mwa/Ess; M .f

M. E. LAYNE.

APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING AND COLLECTING FLUIDS IN WELLS. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 28. 19| 7.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

W/r/Viss:

UNITED STATES l l y I NT orales.

Manton n or` MEMPHIS,

uraaa'rus roasnmnarme coLLEcTm-e'rnums m WELLS.

spec'inaaaon or Letteuratent. Patented June 2.1, 1921 mamma mea sptembefas, 1er?. serial No. 193,745.

To allwlwmvlt may concern.' Be it known that I MAHLoN E. Lumi, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Mem- 1 p his, in the county of Shelby and State of ennessee, have invented certain new land useful Improvements in Apparatus for Separating and Collecting Fluids in Wells, of which the following is a specification. l

This invention relates to wells of all kinds, gas, oil or water, and specilicallyto that part or portion of the well where separation o the liquid or gas from the strata in which it is found takes place, and it hasasits primary objectan entirely new and distinct apparatus for effecting such separation as will `fully appear below in this specification when read in the light of the drawings forming part of this application. f 1 i Heretofore, separation and straining ofthe Huid have been accomplished -by the use of various forms and varieties of screens e through which the fluid was directed before withdrawal from the well, and the lactual separation has taken place at the kpoint of entry into the withdrawing means. In its broadest sense, my invention consists in causing this se aration to take place at a point in advance o the point of entry into the with# drawing means and in such manner that the use of a screen may be successfully vdis-v pensed with. But my invention can better be understood and its objects'and advantages more clearly seen by 'referrin to the drawingswhich illustrate it as applle'd-to at 'the rings andl settle to approximately the water well.

Figure l is a longitudlnal section o f m' 1nvention taken at a` point in the well w erev production is encountered.; Fig. .2 'is aside elevation, partly in section, of a principal part of the structure of the invention; Fig-3 1s a section 'on the line 3-'3 of Fig. 1; Figs. 4, 5, and 6 illustrate various views of a modified construction; and Figs. 7, 8, 9,;10, and 11 ing entirely upon individual conditionsand requirements) ring-shapedhoods or projecting collars indicated as an entiretyby` A,

or sheltering dome 10 'apron-like construction forms 1.0 of the ring protects (see Figs.v 1, 2, and 3) which I term separator-rings and by which name they will be hereinafter called. These separatorLrings are composed cfa main annular body portion which fits snugly against the plpe at 1ts top and flares out.-y

wardly toward the bottom at an angle, preferably o f about 30, as shown." This hood or i pocket around the pipe. Strengthening or relnforcing ribs or webs`11 of any preferrednumber, four being illustrated, under face of the dome-10 and extend radially toward the plpe. These ribs are rhomboldal in shape as shown', and act as spacing members for` t e separator-rings, which, it will be seen,

Fig. 1.) At the peripheries of the rings additional strengthening means may be used ifv deslred,- which I have. shown as longitudinal:l .bars orrods 12 and which are ada ted to be fastened by means of screws 13 to u s'14 on the under face of the dome 10. ear the `apex of each ring are formed in the pipe, perforations l5 for entry ofthe water or other will readily nest together. (See are formed on the fluid.` collar 16 isfastened to the pipe imv mediately above the separator-rings against which they are forced by the threadedring 17. The webs of the separator ring coming next to the ring 17 are,` of course, cut offflush vjwlth the perlphery -of the dome 10.

After the pipe and the rings have .been i placed, the sand and .gravel B of the water caring formation gradually fill `in under position indicated. The overhanging dome the sand and gravel beneath it from the pressure ofthe surrounding formation, -thus permitting a very loose formation thereof and one which althe bottom of the pocket formed under the dome 10, and the water or other Huid separates from the sand and gravel and lls the pocket until it flows through the holes 15 intofthe pipe.A Thls pocket is, in effect, a

pre-collecting and separating chamber. It` i will be seen that my construction makes l possible a very large separating area, much larger than in any of the usual construetions where screens are used, and because of this very large separating area it is possible available by the use of this invention,

'tion or the formation of lper second, while p yof separation was only point, and which to maintain a velocity of flow at the point of separa ion belowwhat l term the critical point, or the point at which the fluid will 'entrain sand or small particles of stone or dirt and carry them into the well.' Also, on

account et this large separating and becausev there is no occasion torestrict in any way the entry openings into the/pipe, as is the case where a mechanical screening-l element is placed over them and where lseparation and entry take place at the same is possible toautilize the maximum capacit Vof each perforation, thereby considerab y reducingv the number of holes required in a pipe of a givensize'to yield a given supply of fluid. This reduction in the number of holes considerably strengthens the pipe, a feature eatly to be desired. It 4should also be note that at Athe point of sepf aration it is essential that the flow be upward, otherwise separation would not be as eie'ctive. llt might be saidy that the construction creates, as it were, a naturalspring around the pipe in which the iiow is upward.

point, it

The separation is practically a seeping, theV lovwbeing too gentle and 4slow for the fluid to carry sand or In some tests of actual operating conditions it was found that the velocity of the iiow in the pipe could be as much as ve feet er second and the velocity at the holes two eet the velocity at the point .009 of afoot per second, a velocity too lowto carry sand or silt in undesirable quantities. The size of the holes 15 can be made largerl or smaller to control production at 'a given point but independent domes. The section of pipe so ,wound may be of any desired or needed The loose formation of this sand and gravel under the protecting dome, and the and equally distributed lmovement thereoit'due to the passage of the liquid through and the unusuallyeven'ow from all points ci? the separating surface, all retermed comentamasses of solid material so common in screens where separation and Yentry take place at ythe same obstruct the flow Aof duid sult-in preventing what is with a consequent of the well; Further, it is possible in the use .fot my invention, toI increase at times, beyond the normal point, the volume of 'water .drawn from the well with a consequent increase in the velocity of the iow through the sand `and gravel and at the point or separation. This will agitate and stir up the vparticles in such: away as to area made dirt in undesirable quantities.A

critical in the use ofl reduction in the eciency 4 Lacasse ot and the breaking up o' Slight ening and solidiying results of possible cementation.

ln Figs. 4,' 5, and 6 l have A'illustrated a modified form of rings or domes provided with upwardly extending portions 18 which serve as spacing members and which do not have the ribs or webs 11 of the first construction. Cutaway portions or slots 19 are formed'in the projecting part 18 adapted to cooperate with the holes in the pipe to permit the entry of the fluid, and all the rings of a section are maintained in proper alinement with respect to the holes by means of the rods 20 which pass through the slots 21 in the rings A. A special sleeve 22 fits up into the last or bottom dome against which the threaded collar 23 abuts-l said collar 23 coperating with the collar 24 above to bind the rings firmly in place when they are screwed together.

FigsA 7, 8, 9, and 1() illustrate another possible way of embodying my invention.

n At intervals helically on the pipe 7 are par- 'most convenient and practicable, two only being herein illustrated. A broad strip of metal 27 is then wound around the pipe and is made to extend downwardly and outwardly from the openings similarly to the simple ringsor domes previously described, andy this helical protecting dome serves the saine` uses as were served by the single and volume of water which the well is to supply and the depthv or thickness of the water bearing strata in which it is to be placed. rlhe strips of-metal 27 may be spot-welded at the top to the pipeat the point marked 28 and maybe strengthened and braced at the outside edge by vertical rods 29 provided with lugs 30 which project beneath the edge of thedome. y

As shown in Figs, 7 and 9, lugs 81 may be struck up or tormed'if desired on the under side oflthe helically wound hood or dome adapted to enga e the flared portions at the bottom and at tl e sides or at a side, as shown. These will help to position and retain the strip in its proper place and lend rigidity. to the construction.

` n Fig. 11, l have illustrated a construction of separator-rings which obviates the necessity of an internal pipe -or receptacle.'

iic

leave spaces S3 between separator-rings for entry .of the uid into the central space. When a construction such as this is used, the members A may be fastened together Aby means of long bolts 34 passing through ilanges 35 and 36 at the upper and lower ends. t

From the foregoing, it will be seen that my invention provides a most simple and e'ective means for separating fluids in wells without the use ofany mechanical screen whatsoever. It provides Agreater eiiiciency for a given well, retards cementation of the sand andgravel through which the fluid flows, and provides the possibility of ready and e'ective cleaning thereof and is simple and easy of construction. Many other advantages will occur to those skilled in the art to which it pertains.

I claim:

1. In well apparatus the combination of a substantially vertical delivery chamber, and an elongated collecting chamber exterior of the delivery chamber in which the fluid is separated from the formation and which communicates at its upper end with the delivery chamber, the outer wall of the collecting chamber extending well below the point of communication between the chambers, and the areas of the entrance of the collecting chamber and( the communication between the chambers being so proportioned that-the flow at the point of separation is at a rate at which suspension of the formation substantially ceases.

2. In well apparatus the combination of a substantially vertical delivery chamber, and an elongated "downwardly and outwardly inclined collecting chamber exterior of the delivery chamber/in which the Huid isfseparated from the formation and which communicates at its upper end with the delivery chamber, the outer wall of the co1- lecting chamber extending well below'the int of communication between' the chamrs. and the areasA of the entrance'of the Acollecting chamber and the communication between the chambers being so proportioned that the flow at the point of separation is .at a rate at which suspension of the formation substantially ceases.

3. In well apparatus the `combination of a delivery chamber and a collecting chamber arranged exteriorly thereof, a substantiallyl vertical wall dividing the two chambers, the two pchambers communicating with each other at a point in the upper art of the collectin kchamber well above t e entrance to the collecting chamber so that separation from the formation takes place at a point removed from the point of communication, r

and the areas of the entranceiof the collecting chamber and the communication be- Il. In well apparatus the combination ofH a delivery chamber and a collecting chamber arranged exterlorly thereof, a substantially vertical wall dividing the two chambers, the'outer wall of the collecting chamber flaring outwardly and downwardly from the top7 and the two chambers communi-- eating with eachother at the upper portion of the collecting chamber, the communicating passage being restricted in its area relative to the area of the entrance to the l collecting chamber.

5. In well apparatus the combination of a substantially vertical delivery casing, and a plurality of domes supported on the exterior of the casing, the casing being provided with apertures communicating with the interior of the domes" at a point well above thelower edgesvof the walls 'of the domes, said apertures being restricted in area relative to the area of the entrance to the domes.

6. In well apparatus the combination of a substantially vertical delivery casing, and a plurality of domes supported on the casing, the easing being provided with apertures communicating with the interior of the domes at a point well above the lower edges of the walls of the domes, the areas of the apertures and of the entrances to the domes being so proportioned that the flow at the point of separation is at a rate at which suspension of the formation substantially ceases.

7. In well apparatus the combination of a casing, a plurality of collecting domes arranged exteriorly of the casing, and means for supporting the lower dome on the casing, the said domes being nested and provided with means adapted to space the domes apart.

8. In well apparatus the combination of a casing, a plurality of collecting domes arranged exteriorly of the casing, and means for supporting the lower dome on the case said domes being nested and proapart, said means reinforcing the domes.

9. In wellapparatus the combination of a substantially vert1cal casing provided with ier, t y1 ed wlth means adapted to space the domes a rela-tively restricted aperture `therein, a y

dome on t exterior of the casing so located that the aperture communicates with the exterior of the dome at the upper part thereof, and means for supporting the dome on the casing.,A

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name.

MAHLON E. LAYNE. 

